7 minute read
bumb'INGOMSO: Changing lives, one young person at a time!
In the heart of South Africa’s Eastern Cape, a powerful partnership is changing lives of young people - giving them tools, support, and confidence they need to protect themselves from HIV and build a healthier future.
bumb’INGOMSO , a dynamic youth development initiative, has since 2017 been rolling out innovative, youth-centred prevention programmes for young people at Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM) and parts of Amathole District.
The initiative works in a consortium with Small Projects Foundation, Beyond Zero, Masimanyane Women’s Rights International and Masibumbane Development Organisation, who are experts in the fields of community development, health, gender-based violence and education.
This partnership not only brings critical resources and expertise to the region, but also amplifies the voices and potential of young people in shaping healthier futures. Through education, empowerment, and access to services, this joint effort is turning the tide on HIV and AIDS at BCMM.
"Through education, empowerment, and access to services, bumb’INGOMSO is helping young people shape healthier, more hopeful futures." - Nokuthula Futwa, Project Director, bumb’INGOMSO
Addressing Root Causes and Building Resilience
Recognising the deeply rooted social and structural drivers of HIV – including poverty, gender-based violence, unemployment aggravated by unemployability, and limited access to quality education and healthcareBI has been implementing a unique, integrated project model to address various aspects of young people's needs, particularly those of adolescent girls and young women.
Key components of this model include facilitating access to the muchneeded youth friendly health services, information and links to available economic opportunities, social behaviour change communication, gender-based violence awareness, psychosocial support and shaping equal gender norms.
The approach is inspirational and intentional, motivating young people to believe that imminent possibilities are within reach, and supporting them to make healthy choices to reach their goals. It is also about igniting a sense of purpose and belonging among young people, inspiring them to want to be more than their current circumstances. bumb’INGOMSO believes that a positive mindset, coupled with ongoing empowerment, support and access to services and opportunities can shift both conscious and sub-conscious decision-making and behaviour.
Leadership Networks and Access to Services
As part of the programme, bumb’INGOMSO set out to build a leadership network which to date boasts a membership of 56 435 young people. These young people have participated in various behaviour change communication programmes through clubs, leadership network meetings, leadership workshops and debate leagues.
Over 423 clubs have been formed with about 10 young people per club. Close to 800 young people participate in debates annually and about 20 000 young people participate in workshops in various schools and communities annually.
BI also provides support services for young people through a toll-free call centre staffed by professional social workers, who are available to assist when support is needed. In addition, the Lingomso Youth Centre, located in Mdantsane, is a safe space and a one-stop shop for young people needing internet connectivity to complete school assignments, access to sexual and reproductive health services, receive career guidance, and apply for higher education and job opportunities.
As young people gain knowledge and confidence, BI believes that it is important that they are able to access the services they need, be it information, health services, justice or education. That is why BI embarked on a process to strengthen response mechanisms, such as health and justice services, and to provide support through the BI call centre.
Recognising the importance of economic independence for young women, BI provides support at various levels - community, high schools and TVET colleges. The aim of these initiatives is to enhance young people’s opportunities to stay in education, gain their qualifications, and access employment opportunities.
"bumb’INGOMSO helped me find my footing in life; it made me understand myself deeply and identify what I wanted to do with my life." - Sanelisiwe Tshengwa
Acknowledging that there are existing government structures, many of BI’s initiatives are implemented in collaboration with government departmentsHealth, Education, Justice, Social Development, and lately the Department of Labour, in line with government policies such as the National Adolescent and Youth Policy. All materials used for training in schools are in line with the comprehensive sexuality education programme implemented by the Department of Education.
Our model is centred around young people as leaders and innovators able to respond to the challenges they face in their lives. This is evident in the many projects that young people undertake as part of clubs within the leadership network - from taking care of their environment, to running/taking part in cleaning and recycling campaigns, addressing food insecurity through food gardens, taking care of vulnerable members in their communities, and advocating for services.
Inspiring Success: Sanelisiwe Tshengwa’s Journey
One young person who made a success of her life against all odds is Sanelisiwe Tshengwa (26), currently a Master's student at the University of the Western Cape, with an immediate plan to pursue her PhD. Tshengwa speaks highly of the key role bumb'INGOMSO played in shaping the person she is today!
“It was 2017 when I was in some kind of a gap year, my sister introduced me to bumb’INGOMSO, and my life has never been the same. I was young and not really thinking about what to make of the future. bumb’INGOMSO helped me find my footing in life; it made me understand myself deeply in such a way that I identified what I wanted to do with my life, and I became very clear about my shortand long-term goals, and the steps I needed to take to get there.
Above everything, Tshengwa says bumb’INGOMSO taught her the importance of connectedness with other peers who are navigating the same challenges in life. “I was quite a socially anxious person growing up, but through bumb’INGOMSO I overcame that. I learned how to interact with peers and how to reach out when I need help - that’s the power of sisterhood. The call centre and professional social workers were always there for everyone who needed support anytime - that was great!”
This is one of many great stories of how BI helps young people find purpose, self-identity, and the drive to change their circumstances and achieve great things in life.
The Visionary Leadership Behind bumb’INGOMSO Behind the scenes, at the helm of the BI strategic direction, are visionary women who are passionate about youth empowerment, self-leadership, and agency. Nokuthula FutwaProject Director of bumb’INGOMSO - firmly believes that young people should lead conversations about matters that affect their lives and be part of decisions and solutions to their challenges.
“What has inspired me in this work is to see the light that shines through when a young person feels inspired, gets excited about their life and the possibilities. Our work with young people over the years has taught us that young people want to be heard and to be recognised, just like everybody else. Small efforts to sit and listen, engage in dialogue, and challenge them to reach for more, have seen many young people inspired to go for their dreams, which sometimes meant going back to school, just like Sanelisiwe."
“As we look to the future, we are coming to the end of the huge funding that had afforded us the opportunity to reach large numbers of young people with good quality services. Although the funding is coming to an end, the need is still here, and many young people and their families have come to rely on the availability of various bumb’INGOMSO initiatives in their schools, communities, or health facilities. We simply cannot close our door; we have to be innovative, do more with less, and build on existing networks - but the work has to continue,” Futwa concludes.
